Nice article about a deleted scene that was filmed(?) with Apollo doing a PR meeting with Rocky at the Gym, prior to their fight...and Dipper (played by Stan Shaw) the guy who Mickey gave Balboa's locker to, decides to hijack proceedings (replete with stills and original script dialogue)
https://theeditroomfloor.blogspot.com/2012/04/lost-scenes-of-rocky-part1.html?m=1
It's a good scene but feels more like a Hollywood produced concept. There is already enough drama going on and the way they portrayed Rocky and Apollo's meetings prior to the fight is perfect. I guess it is redundant as well because we already have the scene on tv where Apollo's manager sees rocky beating up the cattle and Apollo doesn't care. If they had kept it in then they'd probably have to cut that scene at the butcher house out.
shareI just found it interesting.
But, yes...I guess it may have been either out of sync or too much, too soon? (given what we actually got)
But as it stands, I think it gave an extra-dimension to Apollo (that the first movie denied him) when you read the script notes that accompany that sequence. Regardless of such in-house (gym) drama...he wisely backed away, but still (in his own mind) had zero intentions of losing the upcoming fight?
As much as I like the finished sequence (with Duke being the only person in the room looking worried at Balboa's 'unique' training) I figure they could have shoe-horned this sequence *after* Balboa's Beef-punchbag sequence....if only to give Apollo more screen-time?